The Newtown bee., 1887-12-09
Our New York Letter.

 Der of bail cases now awaiting decision in this city Hundreds of men, whose guilt is undoubted, are allowed to roam at will through our streets, as if they were useful and guileless citizens. This condition of affairs is not only disgrace to the boast ed civilization of the age, but it is also practical nullification of that impartial I justice guaranteed by the constitution to rich and poor alike. The public officials, upon whom the duty of administering the law devolves, plead as an excuse for their seeming remissness the lack of proper fa- cilities for handling so great an accumu- lation of business. Is this the true ex- planation, or must we look deeper? A careful examination of the subject, it seems to me. will show the fault in the law itself.
 Legal procedure is so embedded in mass of verbosity and the truth is so en- tangled amid an endless maze of techni- calities that the mis-spelling of single word in the indictment is sufficient cause for demanding stay of judgment The trial may have occupied many weeks, in- volving large outlay on the part of the State and causing serious inconvenience to the 12 jurors who have been forced to neg lect their own affairs while attending to those of the public and yet blunder, not affecting in the slightest degree the mer it's of the case, will render all this labor and expense of no avail. But one of the worst features of this crying abuse is the advantage 1t gives to the rich and infu- ential offender The statutes, as now in- terpreted, allow the man of wealth to car ry his case from court to court on the most tiimsy of pretexts. The poor man, on the other hand, whose means are inad- equate to meet the necessary expenses, must accept the first decision. whether it's errors are great or small Thejudges are not to be blamed for this; they are merely carrying ont the law as it stands.
 These who desire reform must strike at the root of the evil and with an unsparing hand; for 1t threatens the stability of the social edifce. The criminal code is com plicated and cumbrous and it should be simplified al once, in such way as to give equal rights to the wretched creature who has stolen a loaf of bread and the wealthy boodler whose fortune is counted by mill lions. If there was more common sense and less law in the settlement of disputes and the punishment of crime, our judicial machinery would be found amply suffic- lent for every demand made upon it.
 Some startling and significant figures have just been published which throw strong side light on this discussion. Out ot the 2,0O0,OO0 persons annually arrested in this country, 10000 are convicted and sentenced 10 various terms of imprison- these criminals are arrested several times during the year for vagrancy, habitual drunkenness or some other misdemeanor, We find that over 100, ,000 persons are act ually in confinement. Serious as the situ- alton appears, it is even more alarming when viewed in the light of the past. A comparison of the present figures with those published 10 years ago shows that the criminal class is increasing at a faster rate than the population. What is the meaning of this and how can the danger be averted? Many causes have combined to bring about this result; but one of the most conspicuous and the most easily cor rected is the contempt for authority which in ongendered by the delay and uncer- tainty attending the execution of the law. | T,at rih ho , ] will diminish.
 An amusing story is going the rounds that illustrates in graphic manner the ease with which practical politicians feather their nests. A class in one of our uptown schools was being drilled in arith- metic and the teacher, to give greater in- terest to the study, was arranging her questions so as to have a local application. At last she came to bright little fellow at the back of the room and asked him the following conundrum:
 'lf your father had an income of S5 ,OOO a year and spent 5000 for house rent and $20oo in food, clothing, etc., how much would he have left?"
 "$10,000," he replied, after moments deliberation.
 How do you make that?' enquired the astonished teacher.
 Don't you know that pa is an Alder mani" he answered, speaking in tone of confidence, as if no other proof were nec- essary.
 l The amazed questioner saw the force of l the argument and retired from the field. 1 It has long been asserted that there is much hard drinking among the fashion able women of New York; but I have al ways been unwilling to accept this state- ment and it was only short time ago that certain facts, gathered during a con- yersation with prominent grocer, com pelled change of opinion. He says that many of his best customers, ladies moving in the highest society, come in regularly for their bottle of whiskey. carrying it away in a pasteboard box, which conceals its shape and gives it the appearance of an ordinary package. Why do they car ry these bottles2 Is it to save trouble for l the storekeeper? No! for these same wo- men would not hesitate for an instant to send home spool of thread or a paper of pins. Evidently We must look elsewhere for the cause. They are ashamed of their conduct and do not wish those about them to know what they are dolng This sec | recy puts an end to all doubt as to why the whisky Is purchased. Itis not intend ed for medicine, as in that case there would be no need of mystery; it is to sat- isfy the ceaseless craving of deprayed appetite F. M. Burr.
 New York, December 5. 1887.